The first modern green roof structures were developed in the 1960s, but Scandinavian people have been living this way for millennia. In a frigid environment with few trees, sod was the natural choice for building, leaving a legacy of adorable hobbit-esque homes across Norway, Iceland, and other Nordic lands. Read on to learn how these Old World hobbit houses have provided inspiration for modern day green roof design.

Advertisement

There’s a notable difference between a home and a community: a home is a place you’re forced to be; a place where you might not feel like you belong because your family won’t let you use the backyard to create a compost pit. In comparison, a community is a place you want to be; a place where you feel like you belong; a place you can contribute to and grow with. Building a community takes time, but with the right kind of people it can ultimately help you learn and grow as a person.

It seems like the DIY world has been finding all sorts of new and interesting ways to use mason jars for projects, and we’re no exception. There are so many ideas for using these versatile jars to bring the garden into your home! Lovingly tend to a succulent terrarium, craftily hang a row of herb garden jars, or simply repot a garden plant. Whatever way you choose, take advantage of the possibilities of design with these cute planter crafts.

A revolutionary new mobile app is offering designers the ability to use their smartphones or tablets to create concepts on-the-go. Board 2.0, from the masterminds at The Morpholio Project, is quickly becoming a staple for design pros, and is a dream come true for Pinterest fiends who want to take their “board” game to the next level. The app lets users stage rooms virtually on their mobile devices, giving designers the ability to create concepts whenever inspiration strikes them. This could mean big news for the future of design, allowing for more inspired and collaborative designs than ever before!

Rooftop gardens keep your abode cool in summer, add a layer of insulation in winter and create funky, fragrant, butterfly- and hummingbird-filled hanging gardens throughout the year. In the process, they help to power down energy consumption and reduce the urban heat island effect; the heat generated from urban rooftops and parking lots that makes our cities unbearably hot. Green roof companies are sprouting up all over the place to help you make the transition, but installing a green roof is also a feasible project for a do-it-yourselfer. Even if you don’t have the time, money or technical wherewithal to give your entire home a green roof, you can start by trying it out on a small scale: a gazebo, shed roof, doghouse, or even a tiny birdhouse can be converted.

Sometimes the most well-designed and useful objects are the ones you hardly notice at all. Case in point: bike bollards. You’ve probably encountered a bollard at one time or another (they look like heavy, squat posts), but bike bollards are an elevated version of these common structures that perform double duty by protecting buildings and pedestrians from cars while also providing a place for secure bicycle parking. Read on to learn more about these unsung heroes of urban design, and how they better streetscapes in their own quiet but effective way.

Since its opening in 2009, the mind-blowing success of New York City's High Line has taken the world by storm—and it now seems like every city wants an elevated park of their own. Although the Chelsea-based linear rail park isn't the first of its kind, NYC’s elevated greenway sparked a perfect storm for architecture, landscape architecture, and place-making to flourish under the umbrella of urban renewal. As we wait for the High Line's third and final phase to open this fall, we've rounded up some of the greatest High Line-inspired copycats rising up around the globe. Click through to see them all!

Designed by Agence Nicolas Michelin & Associés, the Grand Large District in Dunkirk, France is a sustainable development that marks the beginning of the second phase of the Neptune Project. Launched in 1991, this project's central goal is to assimilate the city back into the seaside docks, creating a variety of buildings and public spaces. The project incorporates a range of sustainable building strategies including rainwater collection and renewable energy while addressing the economic and social needs of the community.

This past May was the hottest on record ever, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The average surface temperature around the world was almost 1°C above its average last century, and Alaska almost 2°C over its average. There’s no denying that climate change is already happening, so the question we need to start asking ourselves now is how is this going to impact our lives, and how can we prepare? Astute business analysts are asking the obvious question: how is this going to impact our economy? A new study highlighted by The Economist magazine looks at precisely this question and tries to calculate the economic cost of climate change. Examining everything from the threat of rising sea levels to coastal real-estate (from Miami to New York City), the economic impact on farming (from increased temperatures and decreased precipitation), to the economic impact of increasingly erratic weather patterns on businesses, homeowners and farming, The Economist takes an in-depth look at what climate change is going to mean for business in the coming decades. Read on to find out more.

If you've ever caught fireflies and kept them in a mason jar, you're one of many who have encountered the enchanting glow of bioluminescent organisms. Fireflies may be the most widely known bioluminescent creatures, but the phenomenon is surprisingly common in nature. Not so surprisingly, designers have taken an interest in the subject with the hope of creating a free energy lighting source. Read on to learn about some of the species that have inspired their work.

Whether you prefer to explore in the outback or under a microscope, National Geographic is looking for the next generation of explorers in any field to submit their dream project for “Expedition Granted,” where one person’s proposed expedition will be fueled by $50,000. Check out this video featuring Brain Games host Jason Silva, who shows you how to submit your big idea at expeditiongranted.com. Whether your goal is to secure a future for captive wildlife or bring music lessons to those who can’t afford them, National Geographic and their incredible advisory council want to see your vision – enter today!

It’s the height of the summer harvest season here in the northern hemisphere, and the southern one will see a huge influx of berries and early spring fruits in the very near future, all of which can be enjoyed in the moment and preserved for later. Produce never tastes as good as when it’s naturally in season (and local!), and the fruits or vegetables we preserve at this time of year will taste so much better than the pallid, imported offerings we’ll find at the supermarket over the winter. Juices are summery delights that are incredibly easy to preserve, as they only require a water bath instead of a pressure-canner, so grab some local produce and get canning!

From green rooftops to living walls and mycelial bricks, professional designers are getting more and more sophisticated with the art of incorporating living organisms into built environments. Biotecture is no longer a futurist dream, but has become a practical reality. But as much as it has become a part of high-tech building design, the principles of living structures are timeless and so simple that you can play with them — and make a fun and useful structure — in your own backyard.

If you’ve already gone through the basics of our first installment of DIY Seed Saving, you’ve probably gotten the hang of preserving and storing smaller seeds and you're now aiming to expand your repertoire. The harvest season will stretch out for the next few months, so there’s a plethora of produce just waiting to spill its seed into your eager hands for next spring's garden. If you haven’t gone through said basics, we'd recommend reading through our previous article to get a general idea of what it’s all about, so the references made in this piece aren’t just random clicks and buzzes.

Three years of below average rainfall and the ongoing drought has left Californians in a serious pickle: Many have chosen to let their lawns go brown in an effort to conserve, but some homeowners are being hit with big fines for failing to maintain their landscaping. On the other hand, the state is cracking down on excess watering and, beginning August 1st, it will impose a $500 fine on anyone caught overwatering their lawn. How did this catch-22 come about - and what can you do if you’ve found yourself caught in the middle? Read on to find out.